Because I'm Needed
by fairy-girl27
Summary: A mysterious girl has joined the Chosen's group, claiming that she has a job to do. Haunted by the dragons of the past, she must try to reach the Chosen's heart before its too late, without jeopardising the Journey of Regeneration. Some sheelos later on!
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya everyone! This is my very first fanfic so please go easy on me, I'm still new at this. Basically this is my story of what Tales of Symphonia would have been like if my character joined Lloyd's group. The story focuses mainly on my character, and in later chapters on Zelos and a little on Sheena. WARNING: This story will contain huge Zelos spoilers in the chapters to come. Anyway, I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't Tales of Symphonia or any of the game's characters mentioned in this chapter. They all belong to Namco (lucky people!) I only own my character which I thought up myself. :)**

**Anyway, on with the first chapter!

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A lone shadow looked down upon the trail leading to the Foogi Mountains from Meltokio. From her camp she had an excellent view of the grand Tethe'alla Bridge and of the sun setting behind the ocean that lay beyond. A gentle breeze played with the golden hairs which had escaped the plait she had confined them to earlier that day, blowing them across her face. She sighed and pushed them away impatiently. It had been a long day.

The sky was now stained blood red, streaked with gold, yet there was still no sign of those she waited for.

'_Where are they?'_ she thought, _'they should have come this way by now…'_

Once again, her hand found the scarlet jewel which lay in the hollow of her throat, perhaps for the sixth time that hour. It was glowing faintly and felt warm against her cold hand. No matter how many times she questioned it, its answer was always the same: wait, they will come. Her annoyance with the little gem only deepened when she realised it was chiding her for asking the same question over and over again.

The sound of beating wings brought her back to reality, as she instinctively reached for her bow. Drawing an arrow from the quiver on her hip, she searched the darkening skies, her ruby eyes darting back and forth. Suddenly a piercing screech echoed throughout the mountains as she was knocked to the ground. The winged dragon circled above, then dove at her again, claws outstretched. Cursing, she rolled out of its reach and whipped away the blood which was oozing from a cut in her knee. The damn dragon was too close! Her arrows were no use at such close range! Desperate, she threw an arrow at the dragon in a feeble attempt to prevent it from coming any closer, but the arrow clattered harmlessly to the ground. The dragon's eyes flashed, delighted by the helplessness of it's prey. It unleashed a current of air that slammed the defenceless girl into the cliff, nearly knocking her senseless.

'_This is it' _she thought_, 'I'll never be able to help them now…'_

Her crystal started to glow brightly, spilling crimson light across the ground towards the dragon.

'_It's all over…'_

She braced herself for the final blow… but it never came. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find the dragon, paralyzed before her, drenched in the red light.

"EXPLOSION!"

Suddenly a pillar of flame fell from the sky and exploded around the dragon. Screaming in agony, it burst into flame and vanished, leaving nothing but a pile of ashes. Shock kept her frozen where she knelt, unable to move.

"Hey, are you ok!"

A young boy was standing on the rock ledge above her, concern flashing through his violet-blue eyes. He looked about 12 years old, with white hair and had a kendama in his hand.

"Lloyd, over here, I think she's hurt!"

She felt dizzy as the ground rushed up to meet her. The last thing she remembered was her crystal glowing faintly, and then everything went black.

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**So, what do you think? I know it's a little short but I promise the next chapter will be a lot longer. This one just sets the scene lol! Anyway, I've never written a fanfic before so I have no idea whether this sucks or not, so please let me know. All reviews are welcome! Please review, I'd really appreciate it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**YES! I got a review! Thank you Jye for being my first and only reviewer! You are awesome! You're right, OCs are cool and most people put a lot of effort into developing their own characters so people should still read their stories! Anyway, here's the second chapter. It's much longer just like I promised. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, there would be a lot more romance between the characters and Kratos wouldn't leave in the end!

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_**Demonic eyes flashing in the night…**_

I was waiting…

…_**a piercing screech…**_

…there is something I must do…

…_**beating wings…**_

…to help them…

…_**crimson light, flowing like blood…**_

…I am needed…

…_**an explosion, fierce, burning…**_

…that's why I'm here…

…_**pain…**_

She woke up drenched in sweat, the remnants of the nightmare clawing at her mind and making her shiver despite the fire that crackled nearby. Immediately she flinched away, fiery explosions danced before her eyes. She could still see the dragon's flesh burning in her dream; she had been so close to it at the time… Of course, the dragon! She was about to be killed by it. Carefully she sat up, only to flinch again when she felt a sharp pain stab through her back.

'_Must have happened when it sent me crashing into the cliff'_, she thought angrily,_ 'stupid creature!'_

Biting her lip so as to shout out, she examined the rest of her body. A few cuts and bruises, and a bandage wrapped around her knee, nothing serious. Where on earth was she? Her ruby eyes flashed in the darkness. Looking around, she found herself in make-shift camp in a sheltered area not far from the Foogi Mountains. A loud snore brought her attention to the dark lumps surrounding the fire, eight in all. Quietly, she got up and limped towards the nearest sleeping bag. A young boy was snoring softly, although it was hard to tell in the darkness, even with her enhanced vision, she could tell he had white hair… Yes, this was the boy who saved her with that powerful magic attack. Smiling to herself, she shook her head. Hard to believe that anyone that young could have possibly cast such advanced magic. His group must have brought her here to heal.

Panic gripped her heart as she hastily checked her throat, but the crystal was still there. Relief seeped through her; they hadn't taken it so they couldn't be bandits.

'_I have to get out of here; I have a job to do…_'

She began to silently pick her way around the numerous obstacles scattered throughout the camp when, once again, the crystal began to glow faintly. _No_, it said, _you are meant to be here… _

'_Here? You mean these are the people I've been waiting for? But they saved me!'_

_Yes…_,it answered with a knowing sparkle. It was mocking her again. She let out an exasperated sigh, deciding to ignore it. Stupid crystal. She was supposed to be bonded with it yet it always kept her in the dark, and chided her for her uncertainty. But still, how embarrassing to be rescued by those she was sent to help! Her ancestors would be ashamed! She attempted to focus her thoughts but it was no good, her concentration had abandoned her, and she tripped and fell onto another unsuspecting sleeper.

"ARRGH! Zelos you pervert! If that's you trying to feel my bum in the dark again, I'm gonna kill you!"

Cursing her clumsiness, she rolled out of the other girl's reach into the shadows, as she tried to kick whoever 'Zelos' was.

"Hey, hey! This face needs it's beauty sleep in order to stay beautiful ya know!"

"Zelos! Where you over here just now!"

"Sheena, I haven't moved all night. Now do you mind keeping it down my demonic banshee?"

"For the last time, don't call me that!"

Their shouting match succeeded in waking up the entire camp. From her crouched position, she saw that there were four girls and four guys in the group, all looking around worriedly for the one who'd caused the disturbance. She knew it was only a matter of time before they noticed her sleeping bag was empty. However she needn't have worried about how to reveal herself without looking like an enemy, because at that moment her injured knee decided to give way, and she fell to the ground with a startled cry. All eyes turned on her as she struggled to get up again.

"Hey, look who's up!"

She turned to see the young warlock smiling at her.

"We were really worried about you, you were hurt pretty bad!"

"Raine healed most of your wounds though, so you should be alright", said a blonde girl who looked about the same age as herself.

A woman with white hair got up and examined her knee. She must be Raine…

"You sustained quite a deep injury on your knee, since you don't have an exsphere I'm afraid I couldn't heal it completely. You shouldn't try to walk on it so soon."

"You… you're the one who saved me from that dragon", she said to the boy.

He blushed, "Well, yeah… I couldn't you just leave you there, you were about to die!"

"What I don't understand is why there was a winged dragon so far down the mountains… they usually stay near the peaks where they can hunt flying prey", a young girl with pink hair said. Her icy blue eyes betrayed no emotion. "Is there any reason a dragon would be attracted to you?"

She remained silent; they couldn't know the truth, not yet. It was too early.

"You must be cold, come closer to the fire", invited a boy with brown hair, a little older than her perhaps.

With the help of Raine, she moved closer to the dancing flames, until she was fully in the light. She heard several sharp intakes of breath, and knew what was coming…

"Your eyes!" exclaimed Zelos, "I've never seen a human, elf or half-elf with eyes like that…"

"Who exactly are you?" demanded Raine, "Where do you come from? Why were you travelling alone through a land filled with monsters?"

"Don't push her so hard, she's been through a lot!" yelled Sheena.

Her eyes had always been the cause of trouble… they were too different. People automatically associated red eyed with demons and evil. Such was to be expected in these dangerous times. She sighed. These were the people she was sent to find and now she owed them her life, but they wanted an explanation she couldn't give. No… she mustn't, it's too hard! They'd never accept her if she revealed too much now. Often on her journey she had wondered what she would say to them when she finally found them, how she could get them to trust her. She had to admit, she kept putting off thinking about it, hoping she had more time, and now the time had come she had nothing prepared, nothing to hide behind. Suddenly she felt very lost and vulnerable. She clutched the crystal at her throat, so as to hide any tell tale glow.

"My name is Taimat"

"That's a pretty unusual name", said the brown haired boy.

"Well I'm a pretty unusual person."

"I think we've figured that out already", said a man with blue hair, whose wrists were bound by steel handcuffs.

"I don't come from around here", she said, "I used to live in a small village, hidden in the mountains. It was very secluded, cut off from the rest of the world. No one outside the village knew we existed…

Taimat's eyes glazed over as she stared into the distance, memories flooded through her. Scenes of pain and sorrow flashed before her eyes.

"But several years ago, a disaster wiped us out, destroyed our homes. I was the only survivor. With no home to return to, I… I went on a journey. There was something I had to do."

"That's so sad…" the blonde girl whispered.

"But what exactly brought you to this region of Tethe'alla? It must have been rather urgent for you to brave the monsters here alone."

It was Raine who asked the question. She seemed the most suspicious and wary member of the group. It was only natural for her to cautious. Taimat made her gaze meet Raine's piercing blue one, her lips curving to form a small smile.

"Because I'm needed."

She turned to face the rest of the group.

"Tell me; is it true that Tethe'allan Chosen of Mana travels with you?"

The red-headed swordsman sweat dropped and sank to his knees.

"Noooooooo, this can't be happening! Not another hunny who doesn't know me!"

"You're pathetic, you know that right?" Sheena sighed.

Shooting Sheena one of his winning smiles, Zelos got up and sauntered over to Taimat.

"I, the great, handsome and sexy Zelos Wilder, am the Chosen of Tethe'alla. How can I help you my ruby-eyed beauty?"

"Its nothing, I was just wondering if the stories I've heard were true."

"Oh, which stories are these?"

"Just stories…" she said playfully.

Zelos raised an eyebrow in what she assumed he thought was an alluring manner. The Chosen seemed just as big a philanderer as she'd heard. She couldn't see the attraction herself. Sure, he was good looking enough, but the guy was wearing pink! To be honest, when she first saw him she had mistaken him for a girl… until she heard him speak of course. She let the barriers around her mind fall and felt her conscience flow out, briefly touching Zelos's mind. She recoiled at once. Zelos's mind had barriers around it as cold as ice.

'_He may act like laid back on the outside, but he's definitely hiding something.'_

Was it just her imagination, or did she just see Sheena glaring at her accusingly?

"So what are your plans now?" asked the young magic user.

"If its alright with everyone, I'd like to join your group and travel with you. Its dangerous travelling alone and I want to help you fight, to repay you for saving my life."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea" said Raine, "we are on a journey of world regeneration and its dangerous even for those who have exspheres."

"I don't need an exosphere, I have this."

She revealed her crystal, now glowing again. Intrigued, they all gathered around her to get a closer look. Naturally, Raine insisted on examining it thoroughly.

"Fascinating… at first glance it resembles a cruxis crystal but when you look closer it has a completely different structure. What exactly is it?"

Taimat shook her head. "That doesn't matter; it's a treasure that's been passed down in my family. It works a lot like an exsphere as it enhances the wearer's abilities. The only difference is that it isn't made from a human life…"

"You seem to know an awful lot for someone who's lived most of her live in a secluded village" said Zelos.

"I've travelled a lot these past few years, and heard many things, what do you expect?"

The blonde girl and young boy turned to the older boy. Taimat realised he must be the leader of the group.

"Please Lloyd, let her come!"

"She had nowhere else to go!"

"Ok, ok. You're welcome to come with us if you want. I'm Lloyd. The others are Colette, Genis, Presea, and Regal."

"Oh, I'm so glad we get to travel together! I hope we can be good friends!" cheered the newly identified Colette.

"Alright! A new hunny for me to love!" A comment which earned both Tai and Zelos another scathing glare from a certain summoner.

"Just to make it official, welcome to the group Taimat!" said Genis.

"Thank you. You can call me Tai."

Dawn was approaching, streaks of pink and orange mingled with the inky blue-black of the retreating night sky. Lloyd and Regal agreed it would be best to move away from the area as soon as possible, in case another dragon was flying low. Tai knew she would have to be more careful when allowing her mind to wander in future; she couldn't risk putting them in danger again. She eyed Zelos warily.

'_It must be him…None of the others feel so cold.'_

As they departed, Lloyd leading the way and Colette chatting away about how great it was to have another blonde in the group; Raine lingered behind, glaring at Tiamat's back.

"I swear, they are all way too soft hearted for their own good! She could be anyone…"

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**Now it's going to get interesting! The next chapter might take me a little longer to post but I'll try to update as much as I can between school work. So pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease review!**

**Go on... press the review button!**

**You know you want to! ;-)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiya people! I just want to start by saying thanks to all you awesome people who reviewed! **

**Jye - **I updated! Thanks for reviewing, I hope you like this chapter too! **Electric Jolt Theater** - I know this story focuses a lot on my OC but it is mostly about her and Zelos. If I just made up a new character and didn't do anythings with her or explain about her past then she wouldn't seem real. And she does have some flaws, you just haven't seen them yet lol! Please bear with me, the later chapters won't focus on her as much, I promise, I just have to get some stuff out of the way first for the story to make sense. Thanks for the review! **blackflame - **You really thought it was good? YAY! I just hope the rest is good too lol. Thanks for the review! **Shining Ducky - **Aww, cool pen name! I'm really glad you liked the last chapter, hope you like this one too! Thanks for reviewing!

**Well, I think that's everyone. On with the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia, or any of the characters. I'm not rich enough! I only own my character, Tai.

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In the days that followed their initial meeting, Tai stuck to Zelos like glue as the group travelled through Tethe'alla. She often tried to touch his mind, hoping that he would let his guard down enough for her to see what he was hiding, but she had no such luck. The icy, steel barriers stayed in tact no matter how much she probed them… she was just grateful that the magic of her crystal stopped Zelos from realising what she was doing. She doubted the Chosen would appreciate her actions, whether they were just simple curiosity or for his own good. When she was first told that Colette was the Chosen of Sylvarant, Tai had wondered if perhaps she was the one she had come for. However, she quickly dismissed this idea when it became clear that Colette was not only very open-minded, but almost too cheery and optimistic for her own good. Tai had no idea how she managed to smile all the time, even when she tripped or when they were in danger, and came to the conclusion that Colette was a lot braver than she would ever be. Tai was a coward and she knew it, even though she tried to put on a brave face around the others.

That afternoon everyone had stopped to rest and refresh themselves in one of the fresh-water streams that ran near Latheon Gorge. They had crossed the ocean using the EC, which had resulted in a heated argument between Lloyd and Raine.

"Don't you dare complain that you're bored Lloyd Irving! If you it wasn't for you we wouldn't be travelling by foot and have to ride on that… _thing_ again!"

"What! How's it my fault that we're in this mess?"

"YOU BROKE THE RHEAIRDS!"

"N-no I didn't, I just experimented on them a little bit…"

"YOU DID WHAT!"

"Well we never had stuff like that in Sylvarant, s-so when I found the little door with all the weird wires behind it I couldn't resist just tweaking a few to see what happened…"

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU LLOYD! IT'S YOUR FAULT THE RHEAIRDS HAD TO BE GIVEN BACK TO THE RENEGADES TO BE REPAIRED!"

"Come on Professor! You're just mad because you had to go out to sea again… ARRGH!"

Tai turned to see Lloyd lying sprawled across the ground, clutching his stomach in agony. Raine's expression was one of utter fury, her cheeks burning scarlet. She would have found the professor kicking Lloyd highly amusing if she hadn't felt so down. Their arguments were giving her a headache. Slowly, she walked further up stream to distance herself from the others, and tried to organise her thoughts. She didn't have much success. The truth was that she was scared; she didn't know what to do.

'_I have to stop Zelos from making a mistake, that's why I'm here! But how can I do that if I can't get him to open his mind?'_

_He won't talk if he doesn't trust you... _answered the familiar voice.

'_Oh very helpful! What in Martel's name can I do to make him trust me!'_

The little gem remained stubbornly silent, but continued to gleam faintly. Tai sighed, rolling her eyes heavenward.

"_Don't tell me, I have to figure this out on my own right?"_

Whispery laughter filled her head and for a split second rainbows danced before her eyes. Tai wondered why it found her current crisis so funny, but didn't pursue the matter further. At least someone was in good mood. Lost in her thoughts, she continued to wander along the waters edge towards the gorge until the sound of rushing water grew loud enough to bring her back to reality. A small waterfall cascaded down the cliff side, almost completely hidden by the by trees which had clearly flourished there for many years. It was as if they were protecting the natural beauty from being corrupted by human hands. Ripples sparkled as the afternoon sun danced across the waters surface, the reflected light making it seem more like an illusion than real running water. Tai gazed at her discovery, entranced. It reminded her of the spring she used to bathe in when she was little… before her home was destroyed.

She knew she should probably return to the others so that they didn't worry, but the water called to her and she couldn't resist. Removing her leather boots and knee length socks, she sat down and dipped her feet in the stream. The water was cool but not unpleasantly so. Nostalgia swept over her as she watched the water swirl around her bare ankles. She remembered it as if it was yesterday… the day her life changed.

_**Flashback**_

_The midday sun shone down on the small collection of thatched houses, hidden away in a depression between the mountains. The villagers went about doing their daily chores as normal, with no cares about the outside world. They felt secure knowing that they were concealed from both the elements and other humans by the cliffs which surrounded them. A few weeks ago they would have worked with shadows under their eyes as worry lined their foreheads, but not any more. The children had nearly come of age; it was only a matter of time before the next guardian was chosen. Soon they would have the dragons on their side once more._

_Suddenly a young girl came racing down the path which led to the village shrine. Her dark blonde hair whipped her cheeks as she ran; her red eyes wild with terror. Turning so sharply that she nearly slipped, she dashed into her house, not stopping for breath till she was safely inside her room. Slamming her door as she passed, she threw herself onto the small bed, where she then burst into tears. Alerted to her daughter's distress by the noise, her mother gingerly knocked on the door. When no perceivable answer came, she entered the small bedroom to be greeted by her daughter's fearful sobs. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she gently lifted some of the long wavy hair away from the young girl's tear stained face._

"_Tai, what's happened?"_

_Refusing to answer, Tai buried her head deeper into her pillow and continued to cry. Her mother eased her into an upright position and hugged her close, stroking her head to try and calm her._

"_You're supposed to be cleaning the shrine today Tai, you know you can't just abandon your duty…"_

"_No! I won't go back, you can't make me!"_

"_Taimat! Do you want to dishonour our family!"_

_Her sharp tone did nothing to sooth her child's fear. Taking a deep breath, she cupped Tai's face in her hands and wiped away her tears._

"_I'm here for you sweetie, but if you don't tell me what's wrong I can't help you", she said more softly. _

"_T-they won't leave me alone…" Tai whispered._

"_Who won't?"_

"_T-the voices… I hear them every time I'm at the shrine. At first they were quiet, l-like whispers, but lately they just keep getting louder and louder!"_

"_You hear voices at the shrine!"_

"_Y-yes, but no-one else can hear them! It's like they're inside my head, and no matter how hard I try, I just can't block them out!_

"_Listen carefully Tai, how long has this been going on?" Her mother's voice was low and urgent._

"_A-about a month now."_

_Taking her child by the hand, she pulled Tai of the bed and smoothed her tangled hair._

"_Come with me, hurry."_

_As she led the frightened girl down the wooden stairs and out the front door, Tai pulled back in desperation._

"_Please mother, no! Don't make me go back; I don't want the ghosts to possess me!"_

"_Don't worry sweetheart, we're just going to see the village elder."_

_Confusion clouded Tai's eyes as she allowed her mother to lead her into the elder's house. She had only been inside once, and that had been when she was first given the 'honour' of cleaning the shrine a few months ago. She and her mother bowed to pay their respects and then her mother began to whisper furiously to the elder in a voice to low for her to hear. Tai was too distracted to care anyway – what if they made her go back! The elder was a kind yet strict man with a wrinkled brow and skin which had withered after many years in the sun. He was also very wise, and knew everything there was to know about their people, their past and most importantly, the dragons. Tai watched as his wiry eyebrows raised in obvious surprise then plummeted into a frown as he heard her mother's news. Then he turned to her, concern radiating from his eyes, giving her a glimpse of what they would have been like in his younger days._

"_So young Taimat, am I to believe that you have heard the spirits whisper?"_

"_Why won't they leave me alone?"_

"_My dear child, they speak to you because you have the gift of our ancestors. Though I have to admit, it is unusual for the dragons to contact one so young…"_

"_They were dragons!"_

"_Of course they were! You know the tales of our people well enough by now. Those of us who possess the gift of being able to contact the dragon's spirits are bonded with one of them to help protect our people. It's about time to; it's been eleven years since the last dragon guardian…"_

"_What! I can't be the next guardian! I'm only ten years old!"_

"_That does not matter, the spirits clearly find you capable as you are or they wouldn't have spoken to you. You will bond with them Tiamat, our people depend on it. It is a great honour to be chosen."_

"_But I don't want to bond with them! I can't even understand them!"_

_She was crying again, tears cascading down her flushed cheeks. Couldn't they understand how scared she was? She wasn't strong enough to be the next guardian; she hadn't even come of age yet! The elder knelt down beside her and tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling kindly as he did so._

"_Fear not my child; I can sense a strong spirit within you, it burns like a dragon's flame deep in your soul. I have faith in you, as do the people of our village. You don't want to let them down do you?"_

_Seeing that she had no choice in the matter, Taishook her headand wiped her eyes harshly using the sleeve of her tunic, much to her mother's disapproval. Satisfied, the elder pressed something into her hand before leading herself and her mother towards the shrine. When she looked, she discovered it was a small, blood red stone, about the size of an exsphere. She tried asking the elder about it, but all he said was that it was needed for the bonding process._

_As they reached the shrine, he turned and beckoned to her with a reassuring smile. He told her to walk to the front of the shrine and to hold out the jewel when she heard the whispers again. Panic swept through her, making her feel sick as she slowly walked toward what she was sure was her doom. Her mother and the elder held back and watched from a distance._

_The whispers came to her before she'd even stepped through the boundary of sacred stoned which encircled the shrine. They were loud, excited and incomprehensible, as if they had been waiting for her return. With a shuddering breath, Tai held out her hand, the small gem glistening in the sunlight on her outstretched palm. The whispers became unbearable as the stone began to glow. Slowly, it floated up above her hand and then towards her neck, where it attached itself to her throat. It emitted a dazzling flash of light, forcing her to shield her eyes with her hand to prevent being blinded. But when she cautiously peeped through her fingers, she discovered that she was no longer at the shrine, but suspended in mid air, surrounded by pink-red light. Ghostly forms swooped around her, but to her surprise she no longer felt scared. These were the dragons. Gazing around in wonder, she noticed a small spirit glide effortlessly towards her and examine her face up close. A silvery, forked tongue briefly tickled her cheek, and then the spirit dissolved into mist and entered the still glowing crystal at her throat. Rainbows burst into her mind as she felt another conscience touch hers. Then the scene faded, and Tai found herself back in the village shrine._

_Looking round, she realised that her vision was much sharper than before. She could hear better and the air even smelt and tasted different. Then the whispers returned, and she found that she could actually understand them this time._

_"You who possesses the gift of an open mind, there is something of great importance that we must tell you. Long ago, thousands of years in fact, we dragons ruled the skies and the mountains beneath. Our strength was great and our magic a mystery to humans and elves alike, but we discovered a way to increase our strength even more by linking our minds to those with the gift, and in doing so we bridged a chasm between those bound to land and we who roamed the sky. We lent your people our strength to protect their homes and in return they protected our eggs from predators as we hunted, and for a time all was well. But one day, the angels of Cruxis descended from Derris Karlan and demanded that we leave the inferior beings and serve them instead. There were fewer then, and they wanted our magic for themselves. Those half-elves insulted our pride, for we serve no-one, and when the dragons refused to submit to their will, they slaughtered us all. Their leader, Yggdrasill, wished to punish us for our defiance, so he used the eternal sword to seal our spirits inside this shrine for all eternity. We are bound to this world, powerless and unable to rest in peace…"_

_Tai began to feel uneasy. The voices were all around her, she had no idea were to focus on. The spirits were angry, yet their whispers were filled with infinite sadness and pain. They were trapped here._

"_But your people didn't loose the ability to hear our voices, though as the years went by fewer and fewer could contact us. We discovered that the only way to escape our imprisonment was to have our spirits bond with the few who still possessed the gift using that stone,so that when they died our spirits would be free with theirs. But in order to free us all, Yggdrasill must be defeated, so that his power over the eternal sword is broken. We have been waiting for his downfall for thousands of years, but it has not come. You are our last hope little one, you are the last child of your people with the gift. Listen carefully, in a few years time the one destined to defeat Yggdrasill and save both worlds will travel through Tethe'alla in the Chosen's group. But the Chosen's heart will be filled with a dark sadness due to things which have happened in the past. It is this sadness which could endanger the group, preventing Yggdrasill's fall. When that time comes, you must join their group and open the Chosen's heart and mind. If you don't, we shall never be free… Trust in your dragon's spirit child, for it will lead you where you need to go and lend you it's power when you are in danger. The longer it is with you, the more it's strength will grow. Please, do not forget what we have told you. You are needed…"_

"You sure seem deep in thought."

Tai jumped in alarm as she heard Zelos's voice behind her, and glared at him angrily.

"Y-you scared me! What are you doing here anyway? Spying?"

"Actually, I was just checking you were ok. You've been staring at the water, hardly blinking for about twenty minutes now. I'm surprised you're feet haven't gone numb, they've been in there that long!"

Tai blushed as pins and needles viciously attacked her toes. She hastily dried of her feet, refusing to meet the Chosen's bright blue gaze.

"Aww, come on! You can't be that mad at me", he said, tilting his head to the side.

"Sorry, I was just surprised. I was miles away…"

"That was pretty obvious. What were you thinking about anyway? Not a long lost boyfriend I hope!"

"Nah, just the past…" she answered quietly.

He stared at her for a second, then tossed back his red hair and grinned.

"Well anyway, we'd better head back or they'll leave without us. Plus we'd better check that Lloyd's recovered from his beating."

"Oh yeah, I hope he's ok."

"He'll be fine, he should just be grateful that the Professor didn't aim any lower!"

Zelos winked and ran back to the camp, leaving Tai alone on the river bank. She smiled in spite of herself, then hurriedly pulled on her socks and boots before returning to the others.

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**Wow, that was a long chapter! Sorry that it focused so much on Tai and her past. I just really needed to get this part out of the way, otherwise the story would have dragged on without you knowing why she continually talked to her crystal lol. Bear with me, it will get better! The next chapter will have much more Zelos in it, yay! Until then, please review for me you awesome people!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yes! I've finally got this chapter finished! I can't believe it took me so long. Sorry for the wait but I've bee really busy with homework and other assorted things. Let me just say a huge thankyou to all you amazingly wonderful people who reviewed! You're all absolutely brilliant! I was going to reply to the reviews here but I've heard that replying has been banned, which really sucks. But I love all your reviews so much, they give me the encouragement to continue writing my fic! So thankyou again! I'll stop chattering on now and let you read the chapter lol.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! NOTHING! Apart from Tai of course, Tai is mine and mine alone. Everything else belongs to the geniuses at Namco.

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Sheena was upset, although she had to confess that she wasn't sure why. She knew it had something to do with Zelos, but he hadn't done anything any more stupid or perverted than usual. Sighing, she put her head in her hands and racked her brain, but the answer continued to elude her. It had started yesterday, when they had stopped to rest near the gorge, she was sure of that. Tai didn't look well, she had wandered off, and then Zelos went after her... Wait! Was she jealous of Zelos worrying about Tai? As you can imagine, this revelation did nothing to lighten her mood.

_'This is ridiculous! Why should I care about him? He's a perverted, idiotic philanderer and he's never gonna change!'_

She felt tears prick the corners of her sad brown eyes, and hated herself for being so weak. She'd promised herself that she wouldn't allow any more distractions, that she wouldn't let anything else get in the way of her becoming stronger, but she couldn't help the anger which burned within her heart every time she saw Zelos flirting with his hordes of brainless fan girls. They didn't care about him as a person like she did.

'_As long as he continues to act like this, I know he'll never commit to one girl… I'm not gonna end up as one of his cheap floozies!'_

Sheena hadn't felt this lost in a long time. When she joined Lloyd's group, she finally felt as if she was doing something right for a change, or at least she did once she'd finally made the pact with Volt. She was helping to reunite the two worlds! So shouldn't she feel proud and worthwhile instead of miserable and confused? Shaking her head, she reached into her ribbon and pulled out a small bell, and felt a single tear trickle down her cheek as she held it close to her heart. And so, the summoner did the only thing she could think of to relieve the mixed emotions inside her. Sitting down, she closed her eyes and began to pray to her oldest friend.

_'Corrine, I wish you were still here. I know that when the people we love die, they never truly leave us, but I miss the way we used to talk all the time. You would always try to cheer me up no matter how depressed I was feeling, and I really need cheering up now...'_

The sound of footsteps approaching behind her brought her back down to earth. Not wanting to be caught crying again, she hastily wiped her eyes and shoved Corrine's bell back in the pink ribbon around her waist. Turning round, she came face to face with a brown, leather hip quiver, and then Tai was kneeling beside her, her ruby eyes filled with concern.

"Are you alright Sheena? You've been behind these trees for quite a while now, we were getting worried."

Sheena stared at her uncertainly for a moment, unsure whether her presence should fill her with dislike, relief or self-pity. She decided to try to forget the whole business. After all, it was hardly Tai's fault that Zelos was taking an interest in her; it was probably just the novelty of travelling with a new girl.

"I'm ok; I was just thinking about… stuff."

She mentally hit herself. What a lame explanation! Tai looked as though she was on the verge of asking her what was wrong, but she must have decided against it and remained quiet, chewing her lip slightly. Sheena felt a rush of gratitude toward her; she didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment. She forced a smile.

"Don't look so worried, I'm fine, really!"

Tai relaxed a little and brushed back a stray strand of hair which had come loose from her plait, smiling shyly at Sheena as she did so.

"I'm glad to hear it, you looked so troubled earlier. Anyway, dinner's almost ready so we'd better hurry back before it gets cold!"

"Great, who's cooking? Please don't say Raine!"

"No, we're safe", she laughed, "Zelos is cooking today!"

Sheena's smile froze and instantly became fixed.

"You know once you get past his perverted side, he really isn't so bad!"

And with that, Tai turned and walked back to the others, leaving Sheena standing alone. Her eyes blazed and her smile had completely vanished. She felt as though the anger inside her could have reduced the surrounding area to ashes with ease. Why in Martel's name was she so angry! Why did the very mention of him and Tai make her feel so depressed? Feeling too confused for words, Sheena glared at the clouds above and took her frustration out on them.

"Idiot Chosen!"

----------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Tai returned to the clearing were the group was resting and waiting for their meal. Zelos was standing over a large metal pot, which was carefully balanced over the smouldering coals of what had once been a campfire. Steam obscured the Chosen's view as he stirred the mixture, occasionally pausing to sample it and add more ingredients. He looked hot and bothered. It seemed as though something was troubling him whenever he tasted it, yet his intense blue gaze never left his creation as he worked tirelessly, one hand impatiently pushing a lock of flaming red hair away from his face. Tai had never seen him take anything so seriously before. By then, a strange aroma had spread throughout the camp, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was cooking.

"Hey, this smells really unusual. What are you making?"

Her sudden presence over his shoulder was unexpected, and he jerked back in surprise, very nearly knocking over the metal pot as he did so. It swayed ominously on it's stand before splashing the Chosen's fine, pink clothes with some of its contents, causing him to cry out in shock and fall over. He landed on the ground with a thump, cursing with some very colourful language, and then proceeded to moan in pain.

"Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiii!" he whined, "What's the big idea! You find sneaking up on poor, unsuspecting, gorgeous guys funny or what?"

"Zelos! I'm so sorry, I-"

It was no use. The sight of Zelos sprawled on the floor, pouting like a little girl, and covered in bits of food was too funny for words. Some of his hair had come out of its white hair band and was sticking up in various different directions like wild fire and his expression was nothing short of hilarious. And so, predictably, she burst out laughing.

"Oh, I'm sooooooo glad that you find my current position so amusing", came his sarcastic reply, "No, no! You just stay there and laugh! Don't bother helping me up in any way!"

"S-sorry, here let me help you," she stuttered in between giggles.

She carefully stepped over the mess she'd caused and went to help him up. Unfortunately, she failed to spot the tomato. As she attempted to pull the fallen Chosen to his feet, she stepped back to steady herself and slipped, accidentally kicking the fruit's mushy remains into his face and making them both collapse into a tangled heap on the floor.

"Right, you asked for it!" he growled, wiping his face on his sleeve, "This means war!"

Tai's eyes widened as she saw him reach into his bag and extract a cooked potato, before squashing it between he palms of his hands and taking aim.

"No Zelos, NO!"

He grinned mischievously, "Oh yes, Tai, yes!"

She hastily pushed herself to her feet as she desperately tried to put as much distance between her and Zelos's mushy missile as she could.

"You can't escape from me, my food throwing hunny!"

"Hey! I didn't actually throw-"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the potato bomb was zoomed toward her, on course to collide with her head. Dodging out the way just in time, she felt the potato whiz past, narrowly missing her right ear. It was that moment that Sheena chose to emerge from the trees. Tai and Zelos could only watch in dismay as the summoner stepped into the vegetable's flight path, completely oblivious to the mushy fate which awaited her.

The potato hit her smack in the middle of her left cheek and exploded, showering her in yellow-white gunk. The impact made her yell and falter before whirling around to identify her attacker. As her eyes fell on the messy red head with potato innards smeared across his hands, her face contorted with fury.

"ZELOS!" she shrieked.

He cringed, "Now, now Sheena, it was just an accident, j-just a bit of harmless fun…"

"Harmless? HARMLESS? Look at me!"

"Don't worry, even when you're covered in food, you're still my voluptuous hunny!"

"You are sooooo dead!"

She launched herself at Zelos in a fit of rage and began pelting him with any bits of food she could lay her hands on. Zelos ran away covering his head with his hands, screaming for mercy as the livid Sheena chased him around the camp. Unfortunately, her aim wasn't very good, and her anger only increased every time she missed her red haired target. Chaos rained in the form of food, and soon everyone was covered from head to toe in fruit, vegetables, and something smelly and unidentified which they all hoped was cheese… Lloyd, Colette and Genis wasted no time in joining in the commotion, furiously pelting anything that moved with food remains. Raine and Regal abandoned their futile attempt at restoring order and settled for cowering behind Raine's barrier spell, while Presea stood confused in the middle of the battlefield, at a loss of what to do. She wasn't familiar with the concept of a food fight; she'd never experienced one before.

Seeing her distress, Genis grinned and grabbed her hand, blushing like mad as he did so but to excited to care.

"Come on Presea, join in!"

"Am I supposed to throw food?"

"Yeah, it's fun!"

"O-kay…"

She picked up a bruised orange and joined Genis and Tai, hurling the fruit with all her might. A cry of childish joy escaped the pink haired girl as the missile made contact with the back of Lloyd's head. She smiled. So this was what it was like to be 12 again.

Eventually, the food supply was exhausted and Sheena had run out of energy to hit Zelos with, so everyone collapsed into tired heap on the floor. Raine and Regal came out of hiding and began lecturing them all on their childish behaviour and how they now had no emergency food supplies, not that anyone was listening. Since all the food was gone and everyone was hungry after the battle, Zelos reluctantly served what was left of his stew,but refused to take some himself. Coughs and splutters came from everyone as they tried it, and he shrank back into the shadows, his face drained of all excitement.

"How much salt did you put in this Zelos?" choked Sheena.

Presea shook her head, "This is not fit for human consumption."

"I-I don't get it. You tasted it while cooking right? How can you not have noticed?" Colette puzzled.

Zelos remained silent, his stony glare never leaving the ground.

"I never thought I'd meet anyone who's a worse cook than Raine," Genis snorted, earning himself a thump from his older sister.

"Hey, hey! Don't place all the blame on the pretty one! Something really salty must have landed in the pot during the food fight. I couldn't taste anything wrong with it before", he argued. His carefree attitude had returned, but Tai couldn't help but notice that it seemed more false than usual. The others continued to complain about the food, she was the only one who noticed as the Chosen slipped away into the trees. She stood up, her crystal glowing faintly.

"Zelos…" she murmured.

_Go after him…_

Making a mental note to ask it how dragon spirits always know what to do next, Tai crept away from the rest of the party and followed Zelos into the trees.

She found him kneeling at the edge of a small fresh water pond, furiously trying to wash the food stains out of his pink coat and gloves. Realising how filthy her own clothes were, she quietly pulled off her stained, blue-green tunic so she was left wearing her knee lengh, white under dress, and went over to join him.

"Hey Zelos."

He stared at her in surprise for a moment, then shook his head and went back to scrubbing his clothes. "You have gotta stop sneaking up on me like that. Give me some warning will ya!"

"Sorry… You stew really wasn't that bad you know."

"Yes it was. You're a terrible liar, you know that right?" he grinned.

"He-he, yeah…"

She watched him for a moment, and dipped her tunic into the clear, cold water, wondering what would be the best way to ask her question. Thankfully, Zelos saved her the trouble.

"Come on then, I can tell you're dying to ask me something. Well I'm all ears, being the wise and endlessly talented person that I am."

"If you didn't know how salty the stew was, why didn't you try it when everyone else did? Something was troubling you when you tasted it while cooking too."

Avoiding her gaze; he pretended to busy himself with wringing the water from his gloves. "I, er, just wasn't feeling hungry, that's all."

"That's weird, 'cause I haven't seen you eat for days now."

She could see that her questions were making him uncomfortable and sighed.

"I only ask because I'm worried about you Zelos."

His expression softened slightly, "Thanks, but I'm a big boy now, I can take care of myself. Let's face it, I've had enough practise."

"You mean… because you're the Chosen?"

He nodded, but looked at her as if he couldn't care less. "If you really wanna know, the reason I haven't been eating much is because all this cold food we've been having lately remind me too much of home sweet home, that's why I wanted to try and cook something hot for a change."

"What do you mean?"

His expression was serious now. "We wonderful Chosens are respected in name only. We're pretty much prisoners in our own homes, always eating meals that are cold from being carefully tested for poison."

"I… I had no idea. That sound's awful!"

"Yep, nothing good comes from being the Chosen."

Zelos finished wringing out his wet clothes and got up to leave. He was grinning again, though it seemed considerably more fixed than usual.

"I think I'll head back now, not that I'll have been missed or anything!"

As he left Tai alone by the water, she reached out with her mind and briefly touched his conscience. To her surprise, she found that the contact wasn't as icy as before, and some of his barriers seemed to have weakened slightly. But only very slightly.

Dragon whispers filled her head as her crystal came to life once more.

_He was lying about why he won't eat…_

'_Yes, but I believe what he told us about his past was true.'_

Retrieving her soggy tunic, she stared curiously in the direction Zelos had left.

"Its not much, but it's a start."

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**Ok, I think that there's only about 2 chapters left to this story. Hopefully the next one won't take me as long, but if it does I'm sorry, I'm a busy girl! Please review for me! I absolutely live for reviews! Reviews make me happy, and the happier I am, the quicker I write. So review, review, review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey you guys! Wow, it's been a while huh? Well I'm back, hopefully with a half decent chapter to make up for the long wait. I'm really sorry it took so long; I've been really busy lately. I won't bore you with the details, I'll just say this: college is hard! BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL MY REVIEWS! It makes me so happy to know that some people enjoy my story, and it makes me want to write more! So enough of my random chatter – on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: In case you haven't guessed it by now, I don't own Tales of Symphonia or any of its characters or locations. But try and claim Tai for your own and you will feel my wrath! Lol.

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"ANGEL FEATHERS!"

The monsters fell one by one as they where hit by the glowing pink chakrams of angelic light. They were small, pitiful creatures, the kind you find lurking in the bushes dotted around the Tethe'allan countryside. Why did they even bother to attack them when their defeat was inevitable? The pretty blonde angel giggled as she glided effortlessly over the ground, her translucent, magenta wings glittering in the late afternoon sun.

Smiling happily, she returned to her friends, "That was easy!"

Her wings shimmered briefly as she landed gently on the trodden earth, before vanishing as quickly as they came, leaving nothing but a few sparkles of mana on her back. Colette's wings fascinated Tai. They were so beautiful and mysterious, revealing her angelic powers when she pulled them out, yet she looked like an ordinary human went they were hidden. She could remember her shock when she first saw Colette fight; she had no idea that the Chosen of Sylvarant had actually become an angel. Colette had explained about how she got her powers when she released Sylvarant's seals, but she didn't go into much detail at the time. There was something she had mentioned which was troubling Tai, it was clawing at the back of her mind, a memory that she couldn't quite reach. But she was certain that it was to do with the Chosen's Cruxis crystal.

With the monsters destroyed, the group continued their journey, with Colette walking eagerly alongside Lloyd near the front. Tai called to her and she dropped back with a smile. The two girls slowed their pace slightly, falling behind the others so they could talk more freely.

"Colette… your Cruxis crystal is really important, isn't it?"

She seemed a little surprised at her sudden interest, but continued to smile regardless, "Yeah, it's the jewel of the Chosen. They say I was born with it in my hand."

"The jewel of the Chosen? Does that mean that Zelos has one too?"

"That's right, every Chosen has one. But we only need to equip it when the oracle comes and we begin the journey of regeneration. Tethe'alla is still flourishing, so Zelos didn't need his crystal until recently. His sister, Seles, was looking after it for him in the Abbey."

"So he has it now?"

"Yeah, he needed in order to open the Tethe'alla Tower of Salvation for us a while ago."

Even though she could be ditzy at times, Colette had a wonderful way of knowing when someone was troubled, even when they did their best to hide it. So when Tai fell silent, frowning slightly, she continued walking by her side and made no attempt at asking her what was wrong. She figured that she'd tell her when she was ready. After a few minutes of walking in silence, Tai seemed to come to a decision. Sighing, she brushed her fringe out of her eyes and turned to the tiny angel.

"It's... your Cruxis crystal which gives you your wings, right?"

She nodded, "It's the Cruxis crystal which gives me all my angel powers."

"How does it work?"

Her scarlet eyes were intense and serious. Tai knew that however Colette had become an angel; she'd suffered a great deal during the transformation process. She'd heard Raine and Genis talking about it one night, though she didn't hear all the details. She felt bad about asking, about making her relive her worst memories again, but she knew that she had no choice. Whatever was going on with Zelos, it had something to do with being the Chosen. Colette lowered her gaze, the usual happy light fading from her aqua eyes.

"I-it feeds on us, like a parasite. It's an evolved form of an Exsphere, so if someone is exposed to it for a while, it'll feed on their essence, making them lose their humanity..."

"Becoming an angel means loosing your humanity!"

Her voice was small and sad, yet serious at the same time, "It's all part of becoming the vessel for Martel, that's what being the Chosen is all about."

Tai could only stare in disbelief, "Colette... I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no," she shook her head, "don't worry about me, I don't mind talking about it. I have Lloyd after all, he saved me. I'm really very lucky!"

She blushed slightly at her obvious enthusiasm towards the chestnut haired swordsman, "It's the other Chosen that have died in the past that I feel sorry for, they had no idea, they had no one to save them. And poor Presea! They were trying to create a Cruxis crystal inside her body. She would have died if Lloyd hadn't made that key crest for her!"

"So it's the key crest that controls the crystal."

"Yes, it stops it from going out of control. You see, it gets stronger when the wearer is suffering, so when I was fighting the guardians of the seals in Sylvarant, it grew more and more powerful…"

"What happened?"

"Well at first, I lost my sense of taste… I just wasn't hungry anymore, and even when I forced myself to eat, I couldn't keep anything down. Then I couldn't sleep, I never even got tired. I used to just pretend or count the stars."

Colette stared into the distance for a moment, then Tai realised she was in fact gazing at Lloyd.

"After that, I lost the ability to feel. I couldn't feel hot or cold or pain. I couldn't even cry… And then I lost my voice, and in the end, I even lost my heart…"

"Colette… stop. You don't have to tell me this if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine, really! I get the feeling that whatever you need to do here, you won't be able to do it without some help, so I'll help you if I can, ok?"

The smile displayed on her pretty features was so sweet and understanding that Tai felt truly touched, "Thank you."

But her fellow blonde was no longer looking at her, she was turning this way and that, a puzzled look had crept over her face and concern glittered in her eyes.

"Colette? What's the matter?"

"I... can hear something."

Tai could hear it now too, a faint rustling noise, the occasional snap of a twig under foot, soft breathing, the breaths coming quick and shallow. Someone was following them and whoever, or whatever it was, they were hardly making a sound. No one else had noticed it, but Colette was angel, and she was part dragon.

"It's getting closer," Tai breathed. There was no need to speak any louder; she knew Colette could hear her.

"What should we do?" came her fearful reply.

Tai was already creeping stealthily away from the bushes which harboured the mysterious newcomer, bow ready her hands. When used correctly, it served to be a deadly weapon, and had been masterfully crafted long ago from a strong, dark wood of which she didn't know the origin. Strange characters were carved into its polished surface, symbols that told stories of ages gone by, of past heroes and the dragons the fought beside them. But they were tiny and many had been worn away over the years as it was handed through the generations of dragon guardians, so not even Tai could decipher what they all said. The bow had been presented to her on her twelfth birthday, only a few days before the disaster occurred. It was her prized possession, other than her crystal of course.

Once she'd reached a suitable distance to fire from, she knocked an arrow in her bowstring, preparing to take aim. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on letting the walls around her mind fall away, and let her conscience flow out, briefly touching the minds of the other unseen creatures which inhabited the area, until she found the one which hid among the bushes directly in front of her. It was a young girl, she could tell that much, but she had mental barriers blocking intrusion that reminded her of those around Zelos's mind, though they were no were near as strong. The few thoughts she could hear were so mixed up that she could make no sense of them. The young archer sighed as she came back to herself and attempted to get some sense out of the other conscience that troubled her, while Colette went ahead to warn the others.

'_I can't tell what this girl's intentions are at all… any ideas?'_

The crystal at her throat shone in response, tinting her pale skin with its rosy glow.

_Her thoughts don't appear to be malicious, but she seems to have some contempt towards some of your companions…_

'_So is she our enemy or not?'_

_Difficult to say…_

Tai rolled her eyes. Why would it never give her a straight answer? _'You're not helping!'_

_And you are not concentrating. Use your head, aim to stun…_

Understanding dawned on her as she remembered what it meant. Carefully, she searched through her quiver, her nimble fingers feeling over the flight of each arrow she carried, until finally she found the one she sought, the one with the largest feathers, and separated it from its fellows before switching it with the ordinary arrow in her bowstring. This arrow was special, the only one of its kind she possessed. It was an arrow one only used when you didn't want to shoot to kill. It had a small bag filled with bitter smelling herbs attached to where the metal arrowhead should be, which would burst when it made contact with the target. The herbs had stunning properties which would temporarily paralyze the victim for a few minutes if used successfully. Since Tai didn't know whether their stalker was a friend or foe, this was the ideal time to use it.

Taking a deep breath, she stood in position; eyes narrowed, and pulled back the bow string. The taut elastic tugged at her fingertips, desperate for release, and she felt a familiar calmness sweep through her as she let go and watched the arrow whiz towards the bushes, swift but not deadly. A shocked cry and the sound of a force field spell told her that the missile had been deflected, as her dragon spirit burst into life.

_Beware of the magic!_

_'What?'_

_Defend yourself... Now!_

"FREEZE LANCER!"

Tai threw herself to the floor just in time, and instinctively rolled out of harms way on impact as the shards of crystal ice viciously attacked the ground were she once stood, their razor edges now embedded in the rocky earth. There was no time to be shocked and she was on her feet at once, confident in her agility if nothing else, and launched herself at her attackers hiding place, arms outstretched and her eyes searching for any sign of a second attack. The archer needn't have worried, the young magic user clearly hadn't expected her spell to miss its target, and her reactions weren't as quick as Tai's. Before she could even get into a defensive stance, Tai had her pinned to the ground with her hands around her wrists. The girl struggled and fought but to no avail. Mentally she was strong but her physical strength was lacking, so Tai didn't find it too difficult to prevent her from recovering her strange weapon which had been flung aside when she'd knocked her down. She noticed that the stranger had short red hair, a shade lighter than Zelos's, and her eyes were blue-green, like the ocean.

"Insolence!" she cried, "Unhand me! Don't you realise who I am!"

So far Tai's captive had been thrashing too much to take in her opponent's appearance, but now she grew still, panting heavily, taking in every detail of her character with venomous eyes. Tai found it strange that a sorceress could tire so quickly.

The young girl attempted to control her voice, a task that clearly required a lot of effort, and glared fiercely at her captor. "If you don't let me go this second, you will live to regret it," she hissed, voice filled with malice, "You don't know who you're dealing with!"

Tai tossed her head in order to move the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes during the struggle. Vision clear again, she glared straight back at the young red head with equal intensity, "Strange, I could say the same thing to you."

She felt the girl flinch in her grasp as teal met ruby, and watched as her pupils dilated in alarm. Suddenly, her thoughts became loud and clear: _demon... _Filled with panic inspired energy, she began to kick, thrash and scream with fresh fear, like a rabbit caught in a hunter's snare, making it difficult for Tai to hold her.

"Help! Demon! GODDESS MARTEL HELP!"

The others were coming now; Tai could here the pounding of their feet behind her. The fact that they'd taken so long meant that she and Colette must have fallen must farther behind than she'd thought.

"Release me you Daughter of Darkness! Take your demon's eye elsewhere!"

She was making far too much noise, and Tai was more than aware that there may be other enemies waiting for them near by. "I-I'm not a demon!" she said, attempting to calm her, but her words fell on deft ears. The sound of a sword slashing through vegetation told her that her friends had finally made it, and was surprised to find that Zelos was at the front of the group when she turned to face them. The colour drained from his already pale face as his aquamarines fell on the girl, making the wild tangles of red hair that blew across his face seem even redder. He was staring at her captive in utter disbelief.

"S-Seles!" he stuttered.

Tai released her at once, unable to control the uneasiness rising from the pit of her stomach, and retreated back a few steps to give the breathless girl some air. "You mean this is your sister!"

"Half-sister," he corrected, kneeling down in front of her, "Seles, what on earth do you think you're doing! You know you're not supposed to leave the Abbey! I can't believe they allowed this!"

Having apparently gotten over her sudden panic attack, Seles sniffed disdainfully. "They had nothing to do with it; I sneaked out on my own. I can take care of myself!"

"But you could have got hurt, or sick! Anything could have happened to you out he-"

He stopped, felling the entire groups' gaze upon him, and looked around sheepishly, a blush creeping across his cheeks.

"I thought you didn't care about her Zelos," taunted Genis, grinning like the school boy he is.

"He is concerned for his sister, that much is clear..." Presea observed, a rare smile playing on her lips.

Lloyd prodded the Chosen's arm playfully, "Heh, I guess even Zelos can be nice sometimes!"

"Wha-! N-no way! I-I mean!..."

"Ha ha! Zelos is embarrassed!" came Genis's singsong reply.

He pouted, blushing crimson to the roots of his flaming hair, "Get real brat!"

The boy magician pulled out his kendama, tossing it lazily into the air and catching it each time, his expression one of controlled rage, "You know you're pretty red as you are, but I bet I could make you redder. Fancy being toasted?"

Zelos sweat dropped, "You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me!"

"Enough!" Raine's violet-blue eyes flashed with fury. "Can't you see we have a situation here that requires immediate attention! Do you enjoy my punishments so much that you crave for more!"

Taken aback by her sudden outburst, both boys hung their heads, reliving the harshness of Raine's past punishments. "Sorry…" they muttered in unison.

"Yeah right," said Seles, returning the groups attention to her, "as if my _precious big brother_ would ever be worried about me!"

She was on her feet now, smoothing her rumpled skirts and rearranging the orange beret on her head. Her pose was one of utter self importance, and her expression was scornful as she retrieved her unusual looking weapon (which reminded Tai of a lunchbox) from near Tai's feet, shooting daggers at her as she did so.

"I don't see why you're so bothered Zelos," she said haughtily," If it weren't for demon-girl over there you would never had known I was following you."

Tai glanced up at her sharply, ruby eyes wide. She'd been called a demon before of course, always by people who didn't understand her, but it was still painful every time. She didn't understand why Seles continued to speak of her that way; surely she could see that she was a part of the Chosen's group and no longer a threat...

Though she tried not to let it show, the hurt in her expression was clear, and she bowed her head, fringe hanging before her eyes.

"That's not the point Seles!" Zelos fumed, "And don't call Tai a demon!"

Now it was Seles's turn to be taken aback. The young red head rounded on him, eyes flashing with something different to the previous distain. "Oh please! Are you telling me you actually care for _her_!"

Her words pierced Tai's heart, paining her in a way that no knife or physical weapon could. Seles was right of course, she was a freak, and it was foolish to think that the Chosen would ever care for her. What surprised her though was that _she _actually cared about whether or not Zelos cared for her, which made little sense in her mind… Wait, yes it did. If Zelos hated her than chances are she would never get close enough to him in order to prevent him from doing something he'll surely regret. Tears pricked the corners or her accursed eyes. Her efforts would be in vain.

Meanwhile, the man in question continued to battle in the verbal war with his stubborn sibling, "Of course I care! I-"

"Um… you guys?" Colette's pale face hovered uncertainly behind the red headed warriors. Her intervention went unnoticed though as Sheena got in on the act.

"We all care, Tai's our friend! Although I wouldn't expect you to know anything about the values of friendship, Miss High and Mighty!"

"You witch! You're just as bad as she is! You dare show your face after toying with my brother's heart?"

"You guys!" The angel was becoming fretful, as she plucked at Sheena and Zelos's robes in a poor attempt to get their attention.

"What?" The summoner was practically shrieking now, completely oblivious to Colette, "I've never had anything to do with your brother's stupid heart! You think I enjoy him being perverted and staring at me all the time!"

"Hey!" Zelos protested, "I'm not perverted, I just have a natural curiosity towards the unknown!" The pink wearing Chosen grinned to himself at his clever answer, secretly enjoying the extra attention he was getting from the Mizuho ninja… until she whacked him over the head of course.

"Sheeeeeeeeeeenaaaaaaaaa!" he whined pathetically, "Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful!"

"GUYS!" yelled Colette, her wings shooting out in desperation, showering them in rainbow sparkles.

"Um, this may not be the best time my cute little angel," Zelos groaned as he nursed the newly risen bump on his head.

"But this is an emergency!" she cried, her panic filled voice finally getting everyone's attention.

"What's wrong?" asked Raine.

Colette turned to Tai, eyes wide and fearful. "Seles sneaking up on us isn't what I heard."

"What!" Tai looked up, alarmed.

"I would have mentioned it earlier, but everyone was busy with Seles, and I wasn't sure what it was…" She tilted her head upwards, searching the apparently empty skies, "If I'd have realised it was combing from above, I would have spotted them sooner."

"Spotted what sooner?" Tai questioned, now also looking heavenward.

Colette extending her arm and pointed to something in the distance. For a moment, Tai could neither see nor hear anything, but then three shapeless specks appeared on the horizon, growing bigger every second. She could hear the faint sound of wing beats drawing closer ad closer. Whatever they were they were travelling at an immense speed towards them, and Tai realised that Colette's senses were undoubtedly superior to her own if she could hear them so long before her. Presently she shivered, angel senses must be even more enhanced than dragon ones.

"What are you talking about Colette? I can't hear or see anything," Genis stated, puzzled, "Are you feeling ok?"

"She's fine," Raine sighed in exasperation. "Honestly, have you forgotten already Genis? She's an angel now."

Tai felt Colette grip her arm worriedly, "You can see them too right?" Her voice was almost pleading.

"Yes, but not as well as you can. What do you see?"

"Spiked wings and…," she squinted slightly to better her focus, "…red eyes."

Tai felt her breath catch in her chest, she couldn't breathe. The airborne newcomers continues to close in, their silhouettes now outlined clearly by the dying glow of the setting sun. They were dragons. But not just any dragons, these were loyal to Yggdrasill. And they had come for her.

"Crap!" she muttered under her breath, panic taking root in the pit of her stomach.

Knowing that this was a first for her friend, Colette gripped tighter, "What is it Tai?"

There was no time to explain, the deadly creatures were only moments away and yet everyone was just standing there! She dashed away, leaving a bemused Colette in her wake. Tai couldn't understand it, she'd been so careful not to let her mind wander ever since that first attack before she joined the Chosen's group, so they couldn't have picked up any of her mental signals. And they hadn't stopped at any major towns or ran into any Desians, so there's no way that her presence could have been reported that way. The feeling of dread continued to rise, overcoming her other senses until she was on the verge of hysteria. Everyone was going to get attacked because of her! The only dragons left in the world were those that were corrupted by Yggdrasill all those years ago, and she always knew that if he was made aware of her presence he would set out to eliminate her. As long as she was the guardian of a dragon spirit, she would be seen as a threat, and the most affective force against her pitiful dragon magic was another, stronger, dragon.

She shook her head violently, '_The only way he could have possibly discovered that I've joined the Chosen's group…'_

She slowed down as she neared Zelos and felt something click into place amongst the jumbled thoughts that plagued her mind. The memory of the day before surfaced, it was just after the food fight when he was washing his clothes. His smile was so fixed and didn't quite reach his eyes: _"I think I'll head back now, not that I'll have been missed or anything!"_

Tai stared at Zelos dubiously, _'…is if someone in our group told Cruxis!'_

All of a sudden Genis was tugging her arm, only partly arousing her from her terror-stricken trance. "What are you doing Tai?" His distresses tone told her that everyone could now identify their approaching attackers, "We have to get out of here, the dragons are coming!"

"No…, "she murmured, unable to tear her gaze away from the evil which waited in the blood stained sky, "We cannot escape them…"

The young mage pulled with all his strength, but the archer stood firm, rooted to the spot, her half closed eyes glassy and dull. Her hands were cold and clammy to the touch, and the gemstone at her throat was blazing erratically.

"R-Raine!" he despaired, "Something's wrong with her, she won't move!"

But Genis had no idea. He had couldn't hear the fiendish words that pierced her mind at that very moment, as the monstrous shadowy forms loomed overhead, causing her breathing to falter.

'_We have you now little dragon child, you won't escape us this time… Soon you will rejoin your mother, and all those other pitiful humans who dared defy our master!'

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**Ooooooooooooh, my first cliffy! Are you mad? Are you desperate for more? Well then review for me you awesome people! (goes starry eyed) You know how much I adore your reviews!**

**Yes, yes, I know there was no sheelos n this chapter- (gets pelted with rotten fruit by angry sheelos fans) No, spare me! I promise there will be some sweet sheelos stuff in the next chapter; I have it all planned lol! Are you excited?**

**Oh, and I have good news! I've recently had a flash of new inspiration, so this fic will be longer than I had originally planned! At least I think that's good news, let me know what you think. Well that pretty much everything for now, I promise I'll try to update faster next time. Please bear with me. **

**And as always, pleeeeeease review! My happiness is in your hands lol.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, I'll try to make this short. Firstly I want to apologise to for taking so long to update; I could reel off the usual excuses but you've heard them all before so I won't waste your time with them. All I can say is that I'm truly sorry for keeping those of you that enjoy my story waiting for such an insanely long time. I only hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint.**

**Secondly, I want to thank each of my wonderful reviewers, without you all this story would most likely have never been updated and I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am for your support. So thank you so much OasisNevaeh, Strawberry Eggs, Eliannora, Sonic Triple Kingdom, Calenmarwen****, and ****MoonlitInuko**

**Okay I think that's everything. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of its characters or locations mentioned in this story; they are all owned by Namco. Tai, however, is my creation alone. **

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_**Chapter 6**_

The winged beasts circled, creating winds strong enough to tear tree roots from the very earth they clung to so desperately with a mere beat of their vast wings. It had been a long time since they had been sent out on a mission by Lord Yggdrasill, and they were impatient to feast after all those years of confinement. Especially since their main course was the same wretched little worm who had caused them so much grief five years ago. The leader of Cruxis didn't like failures, and they had been spared their lives only because they were the most powerful left of their kind. Yet they had still been punished severely for allowing such a pathetic child to escape them. But no matter, they would not fail this time.

Swooping low with a grace unthinkable for ones of their immense size, the creatures surveyed their opponent, their malevolent eyes sweeping up and down her trembling form. Disappointing, she'd gown up much scrawnier than they would have liked, but it was definitely the same one. Those fearful eyes of that maroon shade peering from under that murky blonde hair were unmistakable. In fact, the dragon girl looked so vulnerable and weak, standing there terror-stricken while the white haired half-elf tugged foolishly at her arm that the mighty dragons wanted to laugh. This was the one who was meant to help bring Lord Yggdrasill's downfall? Why, she was nothing more than a bug waiting to be squashed. If she was just any insect, she would not have been worth their time, but the desire for revenge burned with the intensity of the strongest flames deep within their guts, and they knew they would not rest until they could savour the taste of her smouldering flesh in their mouths. She was small, but they could share her. The time had finally come.

Tai couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't speak. She just stood there, her world being ripped asunder around her once again, yet she stayed still, unable to even hear the cries that echoed through her mind as the jewel at her throat continued to flare uncontrollably. The creatures before her were not strangers. They were the same ones - the same ones who attacked her village 5 years ago and succeeded in wiping out its entire population. Everyone that she held dear - gone, incinerated before her very eyes. Only she had managed to escape with her life. And their reappearance now only confirmed what she already knew: it was her fault...

She was allowed no more time to dwell on this thought, as at that moment scarlet light exploded in her mind, shortly followed by searing pain and the inevitable angry words.

_This is no time to wallow in the past - we are in danger! Never attempt to block me again!_

Coming to her senses, Tai saw just how true this statement was. The dragons were coming in to land, their enormous bulk creating shockwaves as their large, scaled feet came in contact with the ground. Ivory claws raked the earth, leaving trenches long and deep. The monsters that stood before her were every bit as terrifying as she remembered, and she only just managed to dive out of their path as one snaked its grotesque head towards her, extending its long neck in an attempt to catch her without having to move from its current position. Vicious jaws snapped at her retreating form, succeeding only in yanking a few hairs from her plait. The girl winced as they parted unwillingly from their roots, and turned briefly to see her pursuer spit the hairs out with distaste, watching the limp strands fall to the muddy earth before trampling them underfoot, snarling. So far this was just a sick game to them... but soon they would turn serious. Tai knew that the beasts had waited far too long for this to just finish her off quickly. They would make her suffer first.

Rising to their full heights, the dragons spread their impressive wings and each let out a deafening roar in turn, displaying their lethal fangs. The first had scales of the deepest rust red, dull, dry and rough, yet as hard as diamonds. The foul colour deepened as it climbed its long neck, crimsoning as though the scales had been permanently stained by the blood that must have dried there in years gone by. The monstrosity lashed its tail, daring the others to try and take his place as leader as they moved into formation, making it clear that he was the dominant male of the three. His claws where filthy with the remnants of past victims and his entire body was ill kept, battle scarred and encrusted with grime. Clouds of thick, grey smoke shot from his nostrils as he snorted with impatience, revealing the flames which burned within. This dragon was a warrior, built for battle.

Towering above the desolate landscape, the second dragon seemed to make the size and power of other two almost pale in comparison. She was the only female of the three and was much older, hence her great magnitude, though her scales were clearly kept in far better condition than those of her comrade. Gleaming faintly in the rays of the setting sun, the deep mauves and violet tints of the plate like structures were beautifully highlighted, taking on a more sombre hue as they reached her legs and tail. Static crackled around her, creating a ghastly aura of negative energy. Her element was electricity, and she obviously commanded it with ease.

The third dragon seemed smaller and more slender than the others, the hum of eager anticipation reverberating from his smooth, jade scaled throat clarifying his position as the junior of the three. Neither spike nor horn jutted from his streamline physique; only the smallest of ridges adorned his back, allowing his glittering green scales to flow undisturbed from head to tail. Had the foliage beneath masked his feet rather than being crushed, one could almost be disillusioned into thinking that the mythological beast was in fact an enormous winged snake. As things were, the dragon rustled his wings impetuously; creating a small whirlwind as he experimentally folded and outstretched the emerald membrane that filled out his wingspan, an act which earned him a warning growl from his female superior.

Reacting with practised speed, the Chosen's party were already in battle formation, each member assuming their individual fighting stance, weapons in hand. Tai felt herself being pulled towards the back, Genis having finally gained control over her waywardness as he planted her firmly between himself and Raine. Confused, she blinked at him questioningly and he shot her a look of concerned exasperation that reminded her entirely too much of his older sister.

"You attack best at long range, like me," was all he said in response.

Her eyes widened as she realised that he, along with all her other team mates, still didn't understand. "But if you all fight then they'll hurt you as well!"

The dragons snarled as they counted the eight obstacles blocking the path between them and the archer. _You miserable beings protect her?_

Dismissing her illogical reasoning with a jerk of his kendama, the young sorcerer proceeded to focus the mana surrounding him. "They'll hurt us anyway Tai!"

The red roared and initiated the attack. _Then you shall all perish together!_

"Okay, let's do this!" Lloyd shouted as he drew his twin swords from their sheaths, the scarlet blades reflecting the last rays of the setting sun. Signalling a familiar strategy to the rest of the party members, he ran towards the nearest dragon, the other frontline fighters in quick pursuit. Dodging the beast's claw swipes, he eventually managed to get between its legs, where he unleashed his Omega Tempest attack on its underside. The fire dragon roared both in anger, yet soon dispelled the young swordsman's technique with a swipe of its spiked tail. Lloyd defended just in time, his crossed weapons taking the brunt of the counter move as he skidded backwards though the upturned gravel.

'_Man, these guys are tougher than I thought. I was sure that I'd hit his weak spot, but my attack hardly seemed to damage him…'_

"Lloyd, are you okay?" came Collette's worried words as he heard her run up behind him. Realising his both opponents' strength and the unlikely-ness that they would fall for the same strategy again, he called out to Collette as she neared him, his expression troubled.

"These guys are even stronger than the dragons we fought when we were rescuing you! You think you can help us out?"

"I'm on it!" came the angel's faithful reply, spectral feathers already spreading from the two shining spots between her shoulder blades, framing her with their heavenly glow. Soaring high, Collette found she had a perfect view of the battle field around her, and so proceeded to clasp her hands together at her chest in a state of prayer, a sense of calm descending on her thoughts as she closed her eyes.

'_Yes… I can reach them all from here.'_

Sparkles of mana began to concentrate at her pointed toe tips, condensing to form a ball of brilliant white light before flowing out beneath the girl, bathing her in its radiance. She smiled inwardly as she felt the tickle of the ghostly feathers surrounding her; all warm and rosy. She always felt so peaceful when she performed this technique, most likely because she knew it would cause no harm.

"Thy faithful servant asketh for thy blessing," the girl murmured softly, now completely serious as she contacted her inner goddess, "Honour us with the splendour of thy song. HOLY SONG!"

She felt the light enveloping her intensify as her feathers flocked together, then released the gathered energy granted to her all at once, watching as it took the form of a dazzling halo which dispersed in all directions. The ring of light soon reached all her friends, washing over them in waves of pure energy and enhancing their skills. As the last remnants of her technique dissolved, leaving only a few scattered feathers in its wake, Lloyd looked up and gave her a wave of thanks, his face shining with fresh determination. Collette grinned despite the danger she knew they were in, and after allowing herself only a moment to enjoy the fuzzy feeling that came with this, swooped back down to the battle field to fight by his side.

Meanwhile the frontlines were taking a serious beating despite combining their best techniques.

"DEVESTATION!"

"EAGLE DIVE!"

"PYRE SEAL!"

None of them had much effect. The creatures were too well protected and there were too many of them too focus their strength on just one to see if they could break through. So far they were doing little more than buying the magic users some time, chipping away at the creatures' defences. Presea gritted her teeth as she was forced to put up her Earthy Protection for the third time, her palms growing sweaty around the handle of her axe. The constant defence was tiring her, and so she seized the opportunity to smash her heavy weapon onto the green dragon's jaw as its head snaked past in pursuit of Sheena. Caught off guard, the youngest monster screamed far louder than the taciturn girl deemed necessary. It wasn't a critical hit, her aim was slightly off. Still, it felt the need to abandon the ninja in favour of snapping at her instead. Having prepared for this, she raised the axe once more, sparing a thought for one mage in particular.

'_Genis… please hurry.'_

As if he had heard her, the earth below began to shift and tremor until ragged cracks split the rock that supported the emerald's weight. Unbalanced, the dragon teetered precariously with its wings aloft, desperately trying to steady itself whilst fighting the pain searing through its feet and haunches due to the earthquake spell.

Tai had found the perfect targets. In the distance she raised her bow and knocked three arrows at once, concentrating hard. As the contact with her spirit's power was made, she envisioned flames, her own dragon's element, clambering the wooden sticks that where her only weapons. Sure enough as she opened her eyes, there they were, now swallowing the metal arrow heads. Grateful for the trickle of confidence her crystal-bound companion gave on her, she released her technique. "DRAGON FANG!"

Two projectiles pierced the delicate viridian film of the green dragon's wings, the added magic of its own kind making the attack all the more effective. Presea gladly made use of this diversion of attention and the beast temporarily fell from the force of her Infliction.

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Cast aside on the outskirts of the party, Seles emerged apprehensively from the bushes in which she had taken refuge to find the Chosen's group already engaged in battle, completely oblivious to her absence. The young red head ground her teeth in irritation, angry at the creatures both for scaring her into hiding and for diverting Zelos's attention away from her presence.

"Impudent beasts…" she sneered as she clambered clumsily from the thicket, clutching her purse-like weapon. "I'll show you!" Her embroidered skirts began to flutter as cold winds roused and swirled around her petite frame, her already pale skin acquiring a ghostly tint from the icy blue light glowing below. "ABSOLUTE!"

All those years of study in Abbey had paid off, and she allowed a self-satisfied smile to spread across her face as the jagged pillar of ice erupted under the fire dragon, piercing his soft underbelly. The scream told her she'd chosen well: fire was always weak against ice. Recovering, the male turned blazing eyes on her and bared its fangs at the newly identified threat. Seles' face fell as she comprehended what was coming next; the weakness worked both ways. The jet of flame was upon her before she had time to even think of defending herself magically. All she could do was fling her arms in front of her face, a cry of terror tearing her throat.

"GUARDIAN!!"

The flash was so bright that Seles saw it even behind closed eyelids. Opening them slowly, she found her vision part obscured by tongues of fire. No… it wasn't fire but hair; long red hair streaming as Zelos took the impact of the attack, shield raised.

"B-Brother…?" she gasped, her astonishment was evident

His concerned gaze quickly swept across her shivering body. "Are you hurt?"

Seles could only shake her head, eyes wide. Thankfully her attacker had already lost interest due to the fresh barrage of skilled kicks coming from Regal. Having confirmed that she was not mortally wounded, Zelos turned to leave.

Panic suddenly seized the young girl's stomach. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like, I'm going back to help!" he called back, "You stay here and keep outta sight. _Don't move!_"

The previous attack seemed to momentarily relive itself before her eyes: razor teeth, a flash of fire… yet she was not the one it was aiming for this time. Her hand gave an involuntary twitch and rose.

"You can't go back, they'll kill you!"

Suddenly her fingers had closed around Zelos's wrist and she looked from them to him, surprised by her own action. He glanced at her sharply over his shoulder, then shrugged her hand away before carrying on. "Then you'll get to be Chosen. That's what you've always wanted."

Unprecedented despair washed over her. Yes, that was what she'd always wanted… yet at that moment it seemed like the last thing in Tethe'alla she could possibly desire. Seles watched her half-brother run away, her left hand lingering unconsciously in midair from when it had been brushed aside. She had never felt so small.

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Appreciative as she was for Presea's diversion, Sheena soon discovered that she was no better off. Crimson scales had replaced the emerald ones which previously glinted in her peripheral vision, and all the while her instinct told her that running was useless. Relying on her speed to give a much need advantage over her weighty opponent, the ninja twisted abruptly, the ribbon which bound her waist swirling obediently behind her as she streaked into the air, cards at the ready. The seal spell smacked the dragon straight in the chest, causing it to growl in annoyance as she flipped out of reach of its flames, ducking and dodging in a series of moves that truly lived up to her 'Acrobat' title. Such a show of agility was wasted though, and the dragon, having quickly tired of not being able to toast its prey, settled for sending the girl flying with a swipe of its enormous claw. Catching herself just in time, Sheena somehow managed to land on her feet, yet her legs still insisted on giving way. She clenched her teeth in aggravation. If her regular attacks refused to work, then she'd have no choice but to summon.

"Sheeeena, could use a little help here!" came Zelos's strained cry as he dashed past her in a sunset blur, crashing his blade against the armoured tail that was about to whip them both, forcing it to recoil.

The summoner heaved herself into an upright stance, her elemental cards clutched to her chest, splayed out in a fan-like manner between her fingers. "I know, but these spells take time Zelos!" she snapped, "Do me favour and cover me, yeah?"

She watched the Chosen stop his frenzied counter attack for a moment, and give her a quick glance over his shoulder, the sweaty coils of flame that tumbled down from the now dirty hair band framing his face. There was something strange in the way he looked at her, something that she'd never seen before. But in a slit second he had turned away again, his scratched hands gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, resuming his guard.

"Did you really think you had to ask?" he murmured, plunging into the fray, leaving Sheena with a doubting look on her face. She hadn't heard, he knew she hadn't, but he didn't want to make her worry any more than she already had to. Placing himself squarely between the dragons and the ninja girl, he warded off yet another attack, this time from the beast's claws, "Hurry up and work your magic already, I won't let them touch you!"

Satisfied, Sheena selected her yellow lightning card bearing the mouse symbol and flung it into the empty space before her, where it hung, suspended in mid air. Taking a deep breath, she extended her arms, placing one hand on top of the other, palms forward towards the card. Her finger bearing the sardonyx ring gave an involuntary twitch and she shuddered, trying desperately to ignore the pounding of her heart as the familiar violet magic circle lit up beneath her, illuminating her face with its ghostly glow. No matter how many times she did the ritual, she never felt completely confident when it came to summoning this spirit, but all these creatures had wings, so she figured it was her best choice. Her surroundings grew dark; the dragons, the battle, the very world as she knew it was slipping away, leaving her in pitch black.

"I call upon the Hammer of Godly Lightning," she called out into void, her voice echoing strangely as the purple light grew more and more intense, enveloping her being, her very soul. Tingles began to course up and down her body as the mana within her accumulated, the power surge becoming more and more unbearable with each passing millisecond. She waited another moment, until the electric force building within her could not possibly be contained any longer, before raising a hand heavenward, almost willing for the mana to flow along her outstretched arm and concentrate itself in the tip of her up-pointed index finger, "I summon thee! COME VOLT!"

Lightning split the stormy sky as the energy rushed from her, the real word suddenly returning with a sickening jolt as the light died under her feet. Looking up, she saw thunder bolts raining on hardened scales, as the Spirit's grotesque form crackled intensely above. Terrible, ear-splitting shrieks invaded her ears as two of the dragons succumbed to the raging electricity, their overpowered wings paralysed against their sides. But the third merely stood there, the lightning bouncing harmlessly off her amethyst hide. Hissing in disgust at her comrades' weakness, the lightning dragon turned her blazing pupils to the source of the attack, just in time to see Sheena sink to her knees.

'_The summoner is weakened…'_

She had been fortunate that she commanded the same element as the chosen spirit; it had given her natural resistance to the onslaught that her companions now faced. But the dragoness was no fool; she understood that she too could share the pain should the girl be left to her own devices. All it would take was for her to summon the opposing spirit of her own element. Spreading her wings to their full span, she turned to rally the recovering males.

'_The ninja has made pacts with the spirits! Eliminate her!'_

The malevolence of the order reached Tai's conscience despite that it was not aimed at her. "No! Sheena!!"

The ninja girl glanced up, breathing heavily. Those dragons were powerful; she must have used up more of her mana whilst summoning than she'd thought. At first she couldn't locate the cause of the warning; then the surroundings turned dim as an immense winged shadow overcast her, so rapidly that the wind from the flight nearly knocked her flat.

Too late, Zelos realised the danger. The young green dragon had flown by swifter than their fastest reihird, bent on avenging his singed scales.

"GARDIAN SEAL!"

But the sheer force of the attack proved too much for her unprepared barrier spell. Razor winds shattered the ward into a thousand glittering fragments, hurling Sheena backwards; her pained cry snatched away by the squall. A nauseating thump sounded as her body crashed against a standing stone before falling limply to the ground. The dragon wheeled round to deliver the final blow, sadistic pleasure lighting his irises as he bared his fangs.

"Stay away from her!!"

Jagged pillars of rock sprung from the earth, attempting to impale the creature as it swooped low; but he evaded them easily, rolling from side to side whenever one protruded from the ground directly beneath. The dragon watched in amusement as the magic swordsman planted himself firmly between him and the helpless summoner, indignation contorting his face as he raised sword, ready to counterattack.

'_Fine, I shall kill the both of you!'_

Zelos couldn't hear anything but the beast's snarls, but he didn't need to decipher them to understand his intentions. A fury like no other had possessed him the moment Sheeena was knocked unconscious, and something seemed to be growing stronger within, feeding off the struggle. The knowledge that his spells weren't strong enough to deter the creature for long didn't help matters, but at that point he was past caring.

"I won't let you near her!" he shouted up at the monster in the sky, all the while intricately moving his hand back and forth in preparation, a tawny magic circle forming at his feet. "GRAVE!!"

'_The fool is using the same spell twice even though he knows it's ineffective?' _the dragon thought, readying himself to dodge._ 'Humans truly are pitiful beings…'_

But rather than the rocks trying to pierce him, they instead leapt up around the ninja, forming a closed dome between dragon and prey. Frustrated, he snapped his attention back to the Chosen, who was now drenched in sweat and shaking from the effort of holding the barrier in place. Something was gleaming faintly red beneath his clothes.

"JUDGEMENT!"

Beams of dazzling white light streamed from the heavens, piercing the enemies' bodies yet somehow missing Zelos and the others. A chakram whizzed past, striking the shrieking dragon with full force before returning to Sylvarant's Chosen of Mana, who was following close behind. Her sparkling magenta wings carried her swiftly to Zelos's side, where she looked up at the winged reptile with fixed determination.

"Please just go, leave us alone!" she cried, tears pricking her azure eyes, "Haven't you hurt us enough?"

The dragon hissed at the angel in surprise, uncertainty flickering across its features. Then it turned, retreating back to its comrades, leaving the two Chosens in a state of shock.

"I don't… understand," Collette whispered as she watched the dragon fly away.

Zelos wasn't listening; he'd released the stone prison and was kneeling exhaustedly at Sheena's side.

"Sheena?" he murmured fearfully, reaching out to brush some of the matted dark hair from her face. His pupils shrank as his hand cam back bloody. She wasn't moving. Eyes stinging, he whipped round to face Collette, panic evident in his voice, "She needs help! NOW!"

The blonde started at his harsh tone and spread her wings hurriedly, "I-I'll go get Raine!" She took flight urgently. Zelos hardly ever lost his cool, if he was this upset then there was definitely a reason to be worried. A silent prayer formed on the young girl's lips as she flew: _Please let Sheena be alright…_

Gently lifting the summoner's bruised body towards his, Zelos propped her shoulder on his chest, cradling her damaged head in his arms. The blood from her wounds seeped into his clothes as he counted a hundred different cuts and grazes through the tears in her own, and he held her possessively, willing her to live with all his heart.

"C'mon Sheena," he pleaded, "You gotta talk to me, _please_…"

Still she made no movement; her breathing so shallow that it was almost as if she wasn't breathing at all. It was no use, she was too far gone… he knew his level healing magic couldn't save her now, and he mentally cursed his inability to perform the resurrection spell.

"Listen, I'm… I'm sorry I called you a demonic banshee alright?!" he said in desperation, "Just please wake up!"

Her arm twitched slightly at this, and he watched breathlessly as dull chocolate eyes stared up at him through a crack in her eyelids.

"Sheena…?" he asked tentatively. The girl struggled to come round, but it was plain that she was fighting a losing battle; already the gap which granted her sight was closing. The effort proving too much, she settled for shifted slightly, leaning in towards Zelos more, and in a state of semi-awareness, instinctively clung to his coat like a small child. Stunned, the Chosen froze in his current position, feeling the warmth of her body on his own, and for the first time in years not a single perverted thought crossed his mind. She clung to him in perfect innocence, and for a moment she looked safe, contented, despite all the hurt the battle had caused her and the times she'd spent ranting at him in obvious dislike. But she was oblivious to that now, clutching the linen folds in her sore fingers.

"Zelos…" she murmured; her voice a rough whisper.

Then the moment ended, and her hand slipped from the fabric as she lapsed back into unconsciousness, leaving Zelos staring at her, his mouth slightly ajar. A shiver passed up and down his spine, and to his horror he felt himself start to turn numb where he knelt, Sheena's warmth slowly drifting away. Panicking, he wrapped his arms around her protectively and hugged her close, as though this action would prevent him from losing her. And that was how Collette found them when she dashed back seconds later; Raine running close behind.

Still fighting alongside Genis on the backlines, Tai released another volley of enhanced projectiles, trying her best to avoid the wings of the fire dragon against which she knew they would have no effect. Rough winds whipped her hair as the Green returned, soaring overhead. The violet dragoness was livid, and she lashed her tail in agitation at the emerald's incompetence, _'The summoner is about to be healed! Why did you not finish her when you had the chance?!'_

'_The angel got in the way!' _he snapped back with equal intensity,_ 'Lord Yggrasill specifically told us spare her; no harm must come to Martel's vessel!'_

'_Enough of these foolish games,_' came the roar of the red male,_ 'It is time we finished this!' _

Raging flames leapt from the dragon's jaws, spreading rapidly across the richly vegetated earth until they wreathed every member of the Chosen's party, severing them from outside aid. The mage and the archer barely had time to jump apart before a jet of fire scorched the ground between them.

"Tai!" Genis cried, snatching back the hand he'd impulsively reached out as he was encircled.

Taimat could only cough as thick smoke choked her lungs. She tried desperately to call out for Genis, to ensure his safety, but the swirling embers overpowered her. She had been cut off from everyone else, just like the dragons intended.

A high-pitched scream sounded from amidst the chaos, alerting them that a team member had fallen. Through the smog, Tai saw the young sorcerer falter. There was only one female member who was young enough to scream like that.

"Presea…?"

Genis up-righted himself weakly; his smoke polluted senses causing him to sway as he continued to stare wide-eyed through the flames. Though he could see nothing, Tai managed to make out a small form lying motionless on the distant ground, and her expression told him all he needed. Gritting his teeth to fight back tears, he thrust forward the hand gripping his kendama as a brilliant blue magic circle flared at his feet, his small face twisted with fury.

"Form a torrential vortex and engulf the evil spirits!" he yelled, forcing all the contempt and spite he could muster into his words. "TIDAL WAVE!!"

Tai watched in awe as the world around her was enveloped by raging waters which crashed into the dragons with full force, instantly dousing the flames that imprisoned them. Weakened, they hissed in frustration once they saw that their prey was free to move again, through they were too sturdy for the attack to best them.

The warlock boy's breath came short and sharp as his spell dispersed, indicating that too much mana had been used when he lost control. In a heartbeat the green was above them, his allies hissing close behind. In repetition of what happened to Sheena, Genis was flung aside as his meagre Force Field spell caved under the pressure of high winds.

"NO!!"

But Tai's scream was lost. Genis seemed to fly, his body limp and broken. Time appeared to have slowed. Elsewhere more screams echoed, deathly and defeated, as one by one the fire and lightning dragons eradicated what little resistance remained in her friends from the battlefield. Part of her wanted to turn, to see, to stop them; but her eyes would not leave the white-haired boy.

'_This is… my fault.'_

Another cry: this time male. In her mind she glimpsed Lloyd's body being thrust to the ground, his twin swords scattered far from reach, as her spirit had seen it.

'_I…I've caused this…'_

Finally Genis fell. Tears slid from her eyes as she heard the thud of his body hitting the scorched earth, hot blood trickling from her clenched fists. The dragons united and advanced, their final opponent having fallen.

_Foolish dragon-child! You honestly thought that your weakling comrades could protect you?_

They watched in amusement as the girl dropped to her knees beside the half-elven boy, continuing to shake violently and making no attempts to wipe away the moisture flowing freely down her face. Yet she did not cower before them as she had done before. Certainly, her eyes were tightly shut and her head tilted earthward… Yes, she was trembling just like last time; there was no doubt about that. So why couldn't they taste her fear? Perhaps it was the dissatisfaction caused by this that prevented the dragons from finishing her where she knelt. Their greed was too great. They wanted her to suffer more.

"Why?" Taimat muttered to herself, over and over again, "Why… why does this always have to happen?" Her crystal flashed in growing agitation as its light intensified with each passing moment, the spirit incapable of restraining her rampart emotions, yet at the same time having no desire to. Through their bond it shared her madness, and could do nothing but observe while the years of pain and anguish gathered in Tai's mind, sending her thoughts reeling with loathing. She stood shakily, whirling round to face the dragons' penetrating stares and then met theirs with her own.

'_WHY??!!' _she screamed mentally, not caring that there was no possible answer that could satisfy her.

Tai almost drowned in the waves of fiendish amusement that replied._ It is your own incompetence that condemns you, little girl. You couldn't save your friends today any more than you could save your mother five years hence!_

White hot tendrils burst through the flimsy mind barrier that usually separated her spirit's conscience from her own. Tai could feel pure hatred resonating through every heartbeat as they stretched and condensed to form threads of pure power. Even in her mind's maddened state she could see them clearly, they seemed so tangible… She almost wanted to touch them. But the pressure in her temples was too much; paralyzing her thoughts as it reached its burning climax.

Basking in their eminent victory, in the shocks of mental torture that pulsed from the human girl, the male leader bent his head down to Tai's level, so close that his rank breath blew back the tangled hairs that blood and sweat had plastered to her face. If dragons could smile, his would be one of pure evil as his final, poison drenched words seeped through.

_Just like your little dragoness couldn't save __**her**__ mother two thousand years ago…_

Something snapped.

A mind-wrenching shriek echoed through the wasteland as the girl threw her head back, lines of fiery white light zigzagging from the glow beneath her feet, etching a dazzling magic circle in the bare rock. The dragons hissed in shock and confusion as waves of sweltering energy knocked them away from their target, forcing them to watch helplessly as the circle, unlike any magic circle they had ever come across, came alive with white fire, the slivery flames twisting up the girl's legs and torso until her entire body was engulfed. But she did not burn.

The dragons screeched in furious disbelief as they witnessed what could not be. _Holy Fire?!_

She reached behind her and held up her bow, her stance now straight and tall; even her long hair had become tendrils of pure flame fluctuating wildly, having now completely escaped its plait. She drew no arrow, instead waiting as the flames that licked her fingertips moulded themselves into a burning projectile of their own, fitting perfectly into the bowstring without charring wood or twine. With seemingly little effort, she pulled the string taught and took aim at the heavens.

_NO!!_ Breaking free, the beasts spiralled into the air, combining their forces in a desperate attempt to eliminate her, to preserve themselves, _anything._ One by one fierce blasts of lightning, fire, and wind bombarded the new threat, only to be tossed aside by an invisible shield, almost as though huge wings had enclosed the girl in a protective cocoon. Lifting her head slowly, she regarded them for a moment through half lidded eyes, then her lips began to move in a manner they were unaccustomed to; the sounds escaping them incomprehensible to both human and elf. The dragons understood though.

"_Traitorous creatures who betrayed your own kind…" _Her dragon language resonated with control over the raw power that rippled through her being, sending the monsters into frenzied panic as she held them with her merciless tone. Opening her eyes fully, her pupils contacted into slits framed by glowing irises of no discernable colour, as every shade of red melded with burning white. _"You will pay for what you did to us!!"_

The bowstring ripped from her fingers as she released, sending the shining arrow shooting upwards like a star. Flying high above the three traitors, it exploded into thousands of fiery needles which then plummeted in great sheets, penetrating every futile defence and piercing every inch of the dragons' usually impenetrable hide. The mortal screeches which ensued should have been enough to rouse the dead. Burying deep into flesh, the sliver flames spread like parasites, eating away from both outside and in as the enormous reptiles writhed in agony, their terror filled screams gradually turning to wails as they weakened. Finally only ash remained.

Sensing the battle was over, the light died at her feet and the arena was immediately smothered by darkness. Taimat blinked several times as though coming out of a deep trance, her head dizzy with sudden fatigue and her body feeling like it had just been caught in an avalanche. Heavy limbs abruptly decided to give way and she caught herself just in time, forcing her wobbly knees to hold her upright with what little will power she still possessed. She couldn't see a thing; neon lights danced distractingly before her eyes disturbing her normally keen vision, but even if this wasn't the case she felt that the deep night that had blanketed her wouldn't grant her anything to see. It mattered little, she still had her other senses. She could still hear and smell…Oh the smell! Tai convulsed as her nose finally registered the disgusting stench of incinerated flesh and bone and the full realisation of what she had done fully hit her. Cradling her aching head in her hands, she fought the urge to be sick as the gently falling ash tickled her bare skin. What on earth had happened?! Her mind was spinning… but it was _her_ mind, that much she was sure of. But before when she battled, that wasn't her. Or it was, but she wasn't alone. When she spoke, those weren't her words or her language. When she drew back her bow, it wasn't just her in control. Still unable to take it all in, she glimpsed her crystal which was still gleaming faintly, yet she could take no comfort from its light.

'_It was… both of us?' _she asked despite already knowing the answer, as though hoping for some sort of reassurance or explanation. Her spiritual companion answered immediately, but offered little of either.

_We have grown stronger…_

It was all too much. Shoulders sagging, Tai remained conscious just long enough to make out the distant glow of Raine's resurrection spell before succumbing to the dark.

* * *

**There you go! Sheelos-ness, as promised. :D And just so you know, I've not just given Tai an amazing power to maker her cooler and stronger than everyone else. It is actually **_**necessary**_** for her to put on such a display for the plot to continue. Anyway I hope you liked it, please review for me again and tell me what you think!**

**Till next time,**

**Fairy-girl**


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